GM Semis

[KQQL IT]

Jimmy's at the antique tractor show.

[NewBayColony]

Originally Posted by KQQL IT

Jimmy's at the antique tractor show.

Nice!

[Maytag906]

Nice Astro for sale.

[factorystock]

A '64-'65 6500. Maybe an ex Southern Pacific tractor.

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by factorystock

A '64-'65 6500. Maybe an ex Southern Pacific tractor.

Nice! Could have been an ex-S.P. (PMT) tractor, they liked gasoline tandem tractors like the W6500 and Ford FT-900.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Nice truck. Most likely West Coast for sure with the Budd Wheels. Has a 478 V-6 and would sure like to know what it had for a Trans.

My old '62 6500 with the 478 had a 5-Speed Trans, 2-Speed Rear, but I would had preferred 2-Sticks or an 8-Speed Road Ranger, lol.

Tough 'ol Trucks.

[factorystock]

Found some info on the series, probably had a 5+3 for highway service, but 5+4 is possible too.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Good info. Mine was just a Single Axle, 9 Fronts, 23 Rears and the Clark 5-Speed as listed above. The 9 Fronts got a little old and a little too weak for the heavy loads we would carry and the mechanic beefed them up to equal somewhere between 12 and 15. When I went into the garage after he re-painted the truck and installed the new springs it sat about a foot higher. I asked him "when are you going to take it down off the jacks", he said it's already off the jacks !! Lol.

[factorystock]

The heavy duty GMC conventional tandems topped out at the 5500 series before the newly introduced 6500 series in '62. '60-'61 5500's luckily came with straight front axles also instead of torsion bars found on '60-'61 heavy Chevies.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Interesting. The 6500 is a pretty rare truck, but the '60-'61 5500's seem to be even more rare. I can never remember seeing one, even in pictures.

[factorystock]

GMC had some great color shots in literature back in the day. This would be a '60-'61 5500 with a 401 being the biggest engine available, the 478 didn't debut till '62.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Great picture. Thanks.

Have to say that I may have seen a picture like that one before, but always figured it was a 5000 with the Torsion Bar front.

Did not realize the 5500 had the Straight Front Axles.

Always thought the '62 was the first year.

[Bob B.]

As close as I can figure, GMC didn't offer torsion bar front suspension on a tandem axle truck. It is the exhaust pipe you see in factorystock's ad picture, the torsion bars were mounted higher along the frame. Chevrolet however, did offer torsion bars on M-80 series tandems '60-'62:

[factorystock]

A 6500 with "Custom" trim is icing on the cake.

[factorystock]

The spec's for the 2 axle. Far from a 1 1/2 ton farm truck.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Nice Wrecker. With the clear directional lenses, it's a '62.

Edit: I meant to say "Parking Light Lenses", lol.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Originally Posted by factorystock

The spec's for the 2 axle. Far from a 1 1/2 ton farm truck.

No mention of the 8-Speed Road Ranger lately. The reason I always believed it was available as it was listed in the 6500 Owners Manual that the truck had. Showed the shift pattern, etc as well.

[factorystock]

This one should bring back memories! Appears to be a GMC exclusive color, Palomino Tan.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

It may be just the picture, but it looks Orange to me and if so, that was my exact truck. A '62 (although that may be a '63) 6500, 478, Spoke Wheels, Cab Lights and the Air Horn. Although mine was a 16 Ft Flatbed Dump. And right, it sure brings back memories.

[Bob B.]

Man that wrecker is really nice! Bet it got the job done too.

[factorystock]

I agree, spec'd right for the job! Interesting it has Budd wheels, where Cast Spokes were the norm in the East Coast.

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I agree, spec'd right for the job! Interesting it has Budd wheels, where Cast Spokes were the norm in the East Coast.

Good catch, I missed that. Thought it was a west coast truck.

[factorystock]

Nice line up! Note odd hand hole design of Budd wheel, I've seen this on new 1960 thru 1962 trucks only. Much more common are the D shape hand hole wheels.

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Nice line up! Note odd hand hole design of Budd wheel, I've seen this on new 1960 thru 1962 trucks only. Much more common are the D shape hand hole wheels.

I wonder where GMC got those wheels from. Back in those days, Firestone, Motor Rim and Wheel, Kelsey-Hayes, and Budd were the major producers of truck wheels. Each one was a little different.

[NewBayColony]

Tweetsie hauled up the North Carolina mountains to Blowing Rock. I remember seeing this trucking company doing a lot of over weight/length moves.